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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. lean — thin
  4. key — in music
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. spring — of water
  7. plane — a tool
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. perch — the fish
  11. fine — high quality
  12. key — the most important part
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. spring — a coil
  16. key — for a lock
  17. fine — all right
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. sharp — clever
  20. spring — the season
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. rule — government

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com